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More than one in 20 Americans aged 12 and older are currently depressed, according to the latest statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.
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Understanding Depression - Symptoms
What Are the Symptoms?
For major depression, you may experience five or more of the following for at least a two-week period:
- Persistent sadness, pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness or hopelessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex
- Difficulty concentrating and complaints of poor memory
- Worsening of co-existing chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes
- Insomnia or oversleeping
- Weight gain or loss
- Fatigue, lack of energy
- Anxiety, agitation, irritability
- Thoughts of suicide or death
- Slow speech; slow movements
- Headache, stomachache, and digestive problems
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TOPAMAX is approved for migraine prevention in adults only.
TOPAMAX is not used to stop a migraine after it starts.
Serious risks associated with TOPAMAX include lowered bicarbonate levels in the blood resulting in an increase in the acidity of the blood (metabolic acidosis). Symptoms could include hyperventilation (rapid, deep breathing), tiredness, loss of appetite, irregular heartbeat or changes in the level of alertness. Call your doctor immediately if you get these symptoms. Your doctor may want to do simple blood tests. Chronic, untreated metabolic acidosis may increase the risk for kidney stones or bone disease.
Other serious risks include decreased sweating, increased body temperature, kidney stones, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and increased eye pressure (glaucoma). Call your doctor immediately if you have any decrease in vision or eye pain. These problems can lead to blindness if not treated right away.
More common side effects are tingling in arms and legs, loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, taste change and weight loss.
Tell your doctor about other medications you take. Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information.
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Charles Nemeroff, MD, discusses challenges around choosing the right depression treatment focusing on antidepressant options.
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